BOC holds second public hearing millage increase

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – After holding the line on the county’s portion of the millage rate for seven of the last eight years, the White County Board of Commissioners has announced and advertised a second consecutive increase. Commissioners held the second public hearing during a called meeting Thursday afternoon.

The third and final public hearing is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. July 30.

The county’s announced millage rate for fiscal year 2019 is 11.25, an increase of about 1.26 mils from 2018. From 2010 through 2013, the rate remained steady at 9.19 mills despite the economic downturn. From 2014-2016, commissioners reduced the rate to 9.168.

But the operation of county schools makes up the larger portion of a citizen’s tax bills. The White County School System has announced a millage rate of 17.481, bringing the overall rate that homeowners must pay to 28.731 mills.

One mill equals one dollar for ever thousand dollars of taxable value. The Tax Assessor’s Office determines the fair market value of property, which is then taxed at 40 percent. Thus the owner of a $300,000 home taxed at 40 percent of its value ($120,000) multiplied by the overall millage rate of 28.731 would pay $3,447.72 ($1,350 in county taxes and $2,097.72 in school taxes).

The 2019 approved county budget totals $18,925.734, an increase of about $1.5 million. Approximately $1 million will pay for a long overdue salary increase for law enforcement and other county employees as well as the addition of two new positions.

Counties that plan to increase the millage rate are required to advertise the increase in the local newspaper and hold three public meetings. White County will hold its third public hearing on July 30 at 4:30 p.m. Citizens wishing to speak in favor of or in opposition to the increase are invited to attend.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to Top